It is highly recommended to increase the vegetable and fruit consumption as they are valuable sources of vitamins and a wide variety of nutrients with known and still un-known health effects to man. Many epidemiological studies imply clear health benefits related to a higher dietary intake of fruits and vegetables. Consuming recommended daily levels of especially vegetables may be difficult due to the need of preparation, like peeling and even cooking before eating. Fruit and vegetable shots have recently become commercially available and are ready-to-drink concepts. Typically 100 ml beverage equals up to 200 g fresh weight of fruits and/or vegetables.
Plant sterol and/or plant stanol containing food products reduce the absorption of both dietary and biliary cholesterol, leading to a reduction of serum cholesterol levels, especially the serum level of so-called bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), while the serum levels of “good cholesterol” (HDL cholesterol) is not affected. Plant sterols and plant stanols lower serum LDL cholesterol even when used as part of a recommended diet and thus add effectively to the reduction of the risk of atherosclerosis.
One drawback with vegetable beverages is that they are not as palatable as fruit beverages. The main reasons are probably the harsh and astringent acid taste and unsatisfactory mouthfeel. Also sedimentation makes the beverage unacceptable in appearance although the sediment can be mixed with the liquid part by shaking just before use. These kinds of products are therefore packed in nontransparent packages to find consumer acceptance. Also fruit beverages have the same kind of problem concerning sedimentation.
WO 2004/093571 discloses e.g. beverages with masked bitter, sour and/or astringent taste containing a reduced amount of sweetening agent and in addition plant sterol ester and/or plant stanol ester. Also fruit and vegetable juices and nectars are mentioned as suitable beverages according to the invention. On page 15 lines 1-7 the method of preparing the beverages is disclosed by referring to the method of adding triglycerides to beverages. This is done by homogenising the beverage as also disclosed in Examples 1-3 of the publication.
WO 2007/016630 discloses a beverage comprising an aqueous medium and sterol ester or stanol ester, and a method for preparing the beverage. Also this method includes homogenisation of the final product.
WO 2003/105611 discloses a process for producing aqueous compositions, such as beverages, containing nonesterified plant sterols. This method also includes homogenisation and the beverage does not contain any unhomogenised fruit and/or vegetable.
US 2005/0175672 discloses a particulate plant sterol composition and its use in food products and beverages. Example 9 shows fruit pulp, water and the sterol composition was pre-mixed with high shear (10000 rpm) and then homogenised (4500/500 psi) to obtain a beverage.
US 2002/0064548 discloses a method for dispersing plant sterol in beverages such as water, a juice beverage, a carbonated drink, milk and soya milk. This is done by melting the sterol and an emulsifier and admixing the molten mixture to an aqueous beverage, stirring at high speed 6800-7000 rpm for 10 min and then homogenising (e.g. Microfluidizer M110EHI) the final beverage.
DE 10063288 discloses beverages containing plant sterol. In the disclosure an emulsifier is added to orange nectar which is then heated. Plant sterol is added to heated oil to dissolve the plant sterol. The two mixtures are then mixed and homogenised in a dispersing apparatus to produce the beverage.